Houston Jury Awards $184,893 in Commercial Truck Collision
One driver crashed into another driver's parked truck at a rest stop. The driver of the parked truck was thrown from his sleeper berth and sustained severe injuries to his neck, back, and head. The driver who caused the crash was operating a commercial truck and was working at the time. The injured driver filed a lawsuit alleging negligence. The jury returned a verdict in favor of the injured driver.
Case Information Updated: October 2025
About Neck Injury (Whiplash) Injuries
Whiplash is a neck injury caused by rapid back-and-forth movement of the head, commonly occurring in rear-end collisions. Despite being frequently dismissed, whiplash can cause significant pain and disability.
Case Outcome
- Outcome
- Verdict-Plaintiff
- Amount
- $184,893
- County
- Harris County, TX
- Resolved
- 2025
Injury & Accident Details
- Injury Type
- Neck Injury (Whiplash)
- Accident Type
- Truck/Commercial
- Case Type
- Motor Vehicle Accident
Settlement Context
This verdict-plaintiff of $184,893 is above the median of $9,367 for neck injury (whiplash) cases resolved by verdict-plaintiff. The typical range is $3,100 to $25,000, based on 590 cases in our database.
Case Overview
In September 2019, a commercial truck crashed into a parked tractor-trailer at a rest stop in Houston, Texas. The plaintiff, who was in the sleeper berth of the parked truck, was thrown from his bunk and sustained severe injuries to his neck, back, and head. The defendant driver was operating a commercial truck owned by the defendant trucking company and was acting within the scope of his employment at the time of the collision.
The plaintiff filed a lawsuit in January 2020, alleging the defendant driver was negligent and grossly negligent for failing to yield right of way, maintain attention, keep a safe speed and distance, and violating traffic laws. The plaintiff also claimed the defendant trucking company was liable under respondeat superior and was negligent in hiring, training, supervising, and entrusting a vehicle to the defendant driver.
The defendants initially denied all allegations. However, in April 2023, they stipulated that the defendant driver was an employee acting within the scope of employment and admitted his negligence. They continued to deny other matters, asserting the plaintiff failed to mitigate damages and challenging the constitutionality of punitive damages. The defendants also filed special exceptions to the plaintiff's claims regarding negligence per se and attorney's fees, and submitted controverting affidavits about medical records.
A jury returned a verdict in favor of the plaintiff in April 2025. In June 2025, the court rendered judgment, awarding the plaintiff $62,000 in actual damages and $100,000 in exemplary damages against the defendant trucking company. The judgment also included $22,893.78 in prejudgment interest, post-judgment interest at 7.50% per annum, and taxable court costs. The case concluded with a final judgment totaling $184,893.78 in the plaintiff's favor.
Understanding This Case
- Most whiplash injuries improve within 2-3 months. However, about 25% of patients experience chronic symptoms lasting over a year, significantly impacting quality of life.
- This case went to trial and resulted in a jury verdict. Verdicts can yield higher awards but carry the risk of receiving nothing if the jury rules against the plaintiff.
- This case was resolved in Harris County, Texas. Local jury tendencies, judge assignments, and regional economic conditions all influence case outcomes in this jurisdiction.
- Resolved in 2025, this case reflects the legal and economic conditions of that period, including medical costs, insurance practices, and jury award trends at the time.
VerdictlyTM Score
This outcome differs from typical similar cases
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